The first-ever comprehensive collection of Johnny Mercer's work for Capitol Records in the 40s – the label he helped found at the time, and home to some of his greatest recordings ever! Mercer's best known as a swing-era songwriter, but he's also a hell of a singer too – a playful male vocalist who was a strong precursor to 50s singers like Jackie Paris, Matt Dennis, and Mark Murphy – like those artists, one who's both sensitive and swinging at the same time. The package features a whopping 79 tracks in all – most of which only ever appeared on 78rpm singles – and Mercers' usually got some great jazz backings behind him, from players who include Billy Butterfield, Cootie Williams, Jack Teagarden, and Nat King Cole. One of the best archival Mosaic sets in recent years – filled with great tracks that include "Box Bar Blues", "Cecilia", "Moon Faced Starry Eyed", "That's The Way He Does It", "Would Ya", "I've Been Hit", "Hooray For Love", "I Never Knew", "I May Be Wrong", "Sweet Lorraine", "Baby I'm True To You", "Ugly Chile", "San Fernando Valley", "GI Jive", "Evelina", and lots lots more! CD

Nat King Cole as a leader and a sideman – incredible material from 1936-1946 – featuring the King Cole Trio, side work with Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers, Dexter Gordon, The Keynoters and The Lester Young Trio! There's a number of great tunes here with Nat singing, but also a whole bunch of recordings that shine a light on his impeccable work as a group piano player of the finest caliber, working as Nat King Cole and under some funny pseudonyms while he was recording hits for Capitol! Packaged stunningly, even by Hip-O Select Standards – essentially housing the CDs in a hardcover book of 31-pages with an essay by David Ritz, 7 3/8" square package with detailed session notes, and beautifully reproduced art work from original 78s and 10-inch LPs! Disc one features 17 tracks by the King Cole Trio with Nat singing and at the piano, with Oscar Moore on guitar and and Wesley Prince on bass: "Sweet Lorraine", "This Side Up", "Babs", "Scotchin' With The Soda", "Slow Down", "Hit That Jive, Jack" and more. Disc one also includes 5 tracks with Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers, with Nat on piano, Eddie Cole on bass, Kenneth Roane on trumpet, Tommy Thompson on saxes and Jimmy Adams on drums:" Honey Hush" (with Eddie on vocals) plus an alternate take, "Thunder", "Stompin' At The Panama" and "(Bedtime) Sleep, Baby Sleep". Last up on disc one, four tracks by the Keynoters with Willie Smith on alto, Nat as Lord Calvert on piano, Red Callender on bass and Jackie Mills on drums: "The Way You Look Tonight", "My Old Flame" and more. Disc 2 is comprised of Jazz At The Philharmonic: Los Angeles, July 1944, with collective personal including Nat as Shorty Nadine on piano and singing on "Sweet Lorraine", Shorty Sherlock on trumpet, JJ Johnson on trombone, Illinois Jacquet and Jack McVea on tenor, Red Callender on bass, Lee Young on drums, and Carolyn Richards singing on "The Man I Love". Other titles include "Blues", "Tea For Two", "Rosetta", "Bugle Call Rag", "Oh, Lady, Be Good!" and more. Disc 3 starts with 1943/44 material by Dexter Gordon's group featuring Nat on piano, Sweets Edison on trumpet, Gordon on tenor, Red Callender or Johnny Miller on bass and Clifford Owens on drums: "I've Found A New Baby", "I Blowed And Gone" and more. That's followed by Lester Young Trio material of similar vintage with Nat as Aye Guy on piano, Young on Tenor and Buddy Rich on drums: "I Cover The Water Front", "The Man I Love", "Peg Of My Heart" and more. Last, but not least, Keynoters alternate takes including "The You You Look Tonight", "Airiness A La Nat" and "I can't Believe That You're In Love With Me". CD

Massive music from Ella Fitzgerald – 4CDs worth of sublime small group recordings – all of them live, and all of them previously unissued! The set follows the same format of the Verve Ella In Hollywood album – recorded in a small club setting, with combo backing that really lets Fitzgerald open up and swing – inflecting the tunes with the kind of warmth and spontaneity that she brought to her famous live performances of the time – which were almost always more compelling than her studio sides, no matter how great those were too! The first 3CDs feature material from two weeks' worth of recording in May of 1961 – with backing from Jim Hall on guitar, Lou Levy on piano, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums – and CD four features Ella returning to Hollywood for two more nights in 1962, with trio backing from Paul Smith on piano, Middlebrooks on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. There's a massive 77 tracks in all – handsomely package in a hardcover 7" square book – which also features beautiful color pages inside, lots of notes on the music, and design that's every bit as groovy as the old albums on Verve. Titles include "Joe Williams' Blues", "It's De-Lovely", "Lorelei", "I Can't Get Started", "Round Midnight", "Perdido", "Little White Lies", "Lover Come Back To Me", "Across The Alley From The Alamo", "Love For Sale", "Exactly Like You", "Mack The Knife", "Teach Me Tonight", "My Kind Of Boy", "It Had To Be You", "Hard Hearted Hannah", "All Of Me", and "Too Darn Hot/Ella's Twist". And, in case you're wondering, there's almost no repetition in the set at all – all discreet, unique tunes – not just the sort of rehash you might get in other concert box sets of this nature! CD

Massive music from Ella Fitzgerald – 2CDs worth of sublime small group recordings – all of them live, and all of them previously unissued before the Hip-O/Verve Select box set! The set follows the same format of the Verve Ella In Hollywood album – recorded in a small club setting, with combo backing that really lets Fitzgerald open up and swing – inflecting the tunes with the kind of warmth and spontaneity that she brought to her famous live performances of the time – which were almost always more compelling than her studio sides, no matter how great those were too! Vols 1 & 2s feature material from two weeks' worth of recording in May of 1961 – with backing from Jim Hall on guitar, Lou Levy on piano, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums. A brief intro rolls into beautiful material on 2CDs – 37 tracks in all: "Lover Come Back To Me", "Too Close For Comfort", "Little White Lies", "I Found A New Baby", "Perdido", "'Round Midnight", "Take The 'A' Train", "Mr Paganini", "Nice Work If You Can Get It", "I Can't Get It Started", "Give Me The Simple Life", "Lorelei", "Witchcraft", "That Old Black Magic", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Imagination", "Joe Williams' Blues" and more. CD

A great collection – 30 tracks from Dean Martin's 50s years on Capitol Records – plus a few select tracks from the 60s too! CD

Select tracks feature Art Farmer on trumpet. (Blues, Vocalists) CD

A classic album from one of our favorite jazz singers ever – a set that really set a whole new standard for a generation! Even at this early stage, Lorez Alexandria was an amazingly accomplished vocalist – as you'll hear on this excellent selection of tunes from the Lester Young songbook – laidback and soulful tunes that really let her open up and do her thing! The backing on the album's nice and earthy – provided by a Chicago group that includes King Fleming piano, Charles Stepney vibes, Paul Serrano trumpet, and Vernel Fournier drums – and the overall style is perfect for Lorez' deep soulful vocals. Titles include "DB Blues", "Easy Living", "No Eyes Blues", "This Year's Kisses", and "Jumpin With Symphony Sid". CD

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", and "I Should Care". This is the original 10" mono recording with 7 tracks – and a green and white cover that has June with eyes closed. LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", "I'm Thrilled", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Fantastic stuff! Stereo re-recording of the full LP – from the late 50s. LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. Titles include "Something Cool", "It Could Happen To You", "Lonely House", "I'm Thrilled", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Fantastic stuff! Original Mono recording – from 1953. LP, Vinyl record album

From its booze-soaked title cut, to its haunting selection of lonely ballads like "Midnight Sun" and "Stranger Called The Blues", this is one of the most fantastic vocal jazz albums of all time – and a record that we'd recommend instantly to anyone! June Christy has an incredibly icy tone on the record, filled with sorrow, regret, and loneliness – all of which are amplified even more deeply by Pete Rugolo's eerie, off-kilter arrangements. And, on this CD reissue, you'll also hear the pair in a whopping amount of extra material, pulled from singles and albums issued around the same time, for a total of 24 cuts in all. Titles include "Magazines", "Whee Baby", "I'm Thrilled", "Out Of Somewhere", and "The Night We Called It A Day". Fantastic stuff! CD

A lost treasure from one of our favorite male jazz singers – the oft-overlooked Matt Dennis, known best as the composer of a few famous standards, but also a great vocalist in his own right – with a sad and torchy approach that's kind of unique! This album's got Matt singing and playing piano, with backing that icnludes guitar, trumpet, and a bit of flute – all in a moody mode that really fits the style of the album's selection of songs. Titles include "This Is My Story", "I'm Through With Love", "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea", "Spring Is Here", "Heart Of Stone", and "For The Losers". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet 70s set from Jackie & Roy – just the kind of record that shows that their genius kept on growing and growing as the years went on! The album's a nice change from the fuller, freer sound of the pair's earlier 70s sides on CTI – but it's also not the straighter jazz of the 50s and 60s either – kind of a wonderful fusion of both eras, brought together in a really groovy way! Instrumentation is small combo throughout – piano from Roy, plus vibes, bass, and drums – all used in a sweetly swinging sort of way to match the melodic quality of the pair's vocals. Titles are a really well-selected batch of numbers – and include "Tiny Told Me", "Good & Rich", "The Runaround", "Born To Be Blue", "Waltz For Dana", "Cheerful Little Earful", and "Magic To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime vocals from one of our favorite male vocalists of the 60s – the deep voiced Jack Jones, one of the best at putting over a ballad or a love song at the time! Jack's got a style that's smooth and sophisticated – but never soppy or slick – kind of a mature, grown-up poise that really transforms any of the material he sings, as you'll hear on this well-selected batch of work from Jones' key years at Kapp Records. Jones' work from the time was a strong influence on the work of Scott Walker – and there's a really direct line between these tunes and some of the material that Walker did during his Philips years. (Ever wonder about Walker's influences? Try going past the obvious Jacques Brel to look at Icemen like Jerry Butler and Jack Jones! This 2CD collection is a wonderful introduction to some of Jack Jones' greatest recordings – and despite the "love collection" title, it's far better than you'd think! 34 tracks in all – with titles that include "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "True Love", "And I Love Her", "Charade", "If You Go Away", "Hit The Road To Dreamland", "Rosalie", "Somewhere Along The Way", "You're Sensational", "You're My Girl", "Dear Heart", "Close Your Eyes", "Summertime Promises", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Love With The Proper Stranger". CD

One of the hippest 70s albums you could hope to find by Sheila Jordan – originally recorded for the East West label in Japan! The set features Sheila singing with a small group that includes Norman Marnell on tenor, Alan Pasqua on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – and their mix of styles and directions gives the album a wide range of moods that aptly fits Sheila's enigmatic selection of tunes. The album features a slightly funky reading of the cut "Pearlie's Swine", which begins with a beautiful bassline from Brown – plus the tracks "Because We're Kids", "My Favorite Things", "Confirmation", "Why Was I Born", and "Inch Worm". CD

Although the Anita Kerr singers were not often the swinginest group in town, this LP has them doing a nice selection of Bacharach material, including "What's New Pussycat?", "Are You There (with Another Girl)", and "Windows of the World". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent overview of Peggy Lee's magical years at Capitol Records – featuring tracks from her initial Capitol stretch of the late 40s and early 50s – and lots more work from her later stretch of famous 60s singles and albums! The set features 113 tracks in all, plus a biography of Peggy, and notes on all the songs. The mood ranges from upbeat and swinging to mellow and moody – and just a few of the selections include "Watch What Happens", "I Love Being Here With You", "The Glory Of Love", "Close Your Eyes", "Again", "Do I Love You", "Bill", "That's All", "There'll Be Another Spring", "Stormy Weather", "Them There Eyes", "Chi Bab Chi Baba", and "Alright Okay You Win". CD

A 2CD set, with 2 late 60s gems from Johnny Mathis! Those Were The Days is a title tune sung famously by Mathis as a single – but even better are the rest of the tracks on the set – a cool batch of 60s numbers that really show Johnny stretching out comfortably with some new material, but never in ways that mess with his amazing vocal approach at all! Backings often have a gentle dip underneath the strings – letting Mathis pick up some slight groovy rhythms at points, on titles that include "Light My Fire", "59th Street Bridge Song", "This Guy's In Love With You", "You Make Me Think About You", "The World I Used To Know", and "Turn Around Look At Me". Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet has Johnny Mathis taking on the title tune of the famous film, and also dipping into a mix of other soundtrack numbers from the time – plus a bit of pop material as well! As with other Mathis albums from this stretch, we really love the selection of tunes – penned by Michel Legrand, Francis Lai, Nilsson, and other songwriters we love so much from the generation – writers who really get Johnny past the familiar styles of his early hits. Ernie Freeman did some of the arrangements – which makes for a nice change – and titles include "Live For Life", "Without Her", "Windmills Of Your Mind", "Love Me Tonight", "Didn't We", "We", "The World I Threw Away", and "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In". CD

Includes a whopping thirty-two selections over 2 LPs, with "Love Is A Simple Thing", "Yesterdays", "Good Morning Heartache", "Lush Life", "Summertime", "Perdido", "Baltimore Oriole", "All The Things You Are", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

The voice of Audrey Morris is a great one – sweet, but also sad too – but never in a too-sentimental way, and perfect for the gentler touch of the Bethlehem label! Audrey's working here with backings penned by Marty Paich – who also plays celeste on the album, with a group that features Stu Williamson on trumpet, Bill Pitman on guitar, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Irv Cottler or Alvin Stoller on drums. Paich uses a bit of strings on the date – never too much, but just enough to underscore the sadness of the bluer tunes, and create a bit of softness on a few of the ballads – all in a way that's never too dramatic, and which always gives way to Audrey's vocals when they slide into the mix – preserving the intimate quality that always makes for her best sort of setting. The track selection is great – far more unusual than the typical Bethlehem vocal date, with some great late nite numbers that include "If Love Were All", "I Never Mention Your Name", "It's Always You", "What More Can A Woman Do", "Blue Turning Gray Over You", "I Go For That", and "I Wonder What Became Of Me". CD

A stunning album of spiritual majesty from American pianist Rafael – a player who'd worked in New York during the bop years, but who ended up overseas, and cut this completely unique album in the early 70s! Tracks are all long, and have a quality that owes a bit to the spiritual modes of the post-Coltrane years – but the progression of sounds is very unfamiliar, in part because many of the cuts have these long wordless passages from singer Rose Thompson – who's almost as much of an "instrument" in the music as Rafael's piano! The leader also plays a bit of flute, and the rest of the group features bass, drums, and a mix of vibes and bongos from Johnny Peret – on these beautiful long tunes that include "Night Crawler", "Dead Sea Scrolls", "Archangelo", and "Hommage A Kabylie". (Jazz, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Nina selected a very nice batch of standards and hip jazzy tracks for this classic Colpix release from the early 60s – and the set's a great example of her unique skill for blending folksy material with more sophisticated stuff, in an amazingly haunting style that has endured for decades. Titles include "Memphis In June", "Cotton Eye Joe", "Work Song", "Little Liza Jane", "Forbidden Fruit", "Rags & Old Iron", and "You Can Have Him". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest vocal albums of all time! Sinatra's never sounded better than on this album – one of the first truly cohesive albums of torch and ballad songs ever recorded – done by Frank at a time when his heart was really breaking, and sung with a depth you'd hardly ever find in his other work. The whole thing's sublime – one of the darkest, moodiest selections of material we've ever heard – and the record never fails to send chills down our spine, no matter how many times we hear it! Tracks include "Mood Indigo", "I See Your Face Before Me", "Deep In A Dream", "Ill Wind", "I'll Be Around", "This Love Of Mine", "Dancing On The Ceiling", "Glad To Be Unhappy", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". CD

Sinatra at his lonely best – as emphasized by the cover image, which has him sitting alone at a bar, looking sadly into his drink. The album's got backings by Gordon Jenkins, a bit more flowery than some of Nelson Riddle's, but in that sad dreamy mode that Sinatra worked with on the Wee Small Hours album. The selection of tunes includes the Sammy Cahn/Jimmy Van Heusen original "When No One Cares", plus sublime readings of "Where Do You Go", "A Cottage For Sale", "I Can't Get Started", and "None But The Lonely Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

Sinatra's final album for Capitol – a contemplative set of tracks that reunites him with arranger Alex Stordahl, a frequent partner during the Columbia years, and an artist who's matured as much as Frank by this point, making a perfect fit for the sadder tone of the material. Tracks are in that "older man let alone" style of some of the Reprise recordings, and selections include "These Foolish Things", "When The World Was Young", "I'll Remember April", "September Song", "A Million Dreams Ago", and "Somewhere Along The Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just the "essence" of Nancy – an excellent 4CD set, with a huge amount of rare material! Here's the breakdown: Disc 1 features "Spanning The Decades" – a selection of rare singles and chart hits, most on CD in the US for the first time; Disc 2 is "From The Vaults", with 14 previously unreleased live recordings, and another 9 previously unissued studio tracks; Disc 3 is "Nancy's Choice", featuring 22 tracks that are Nancy's own personal favorites, 4 of which have never been issued in the US; Disc 4 is "Hidden Gems", 18 choice cuts from Nancy's albums, all issued on CD for the first time in the US! Wonderful throughout – with a total of 81 rare tracks on 4CDs, all packaged in a nice booklet style. Titles include "Hurry Change", "Are We Losin Touch", "But Only Sometimes", "Save Your Love For Me", "The Seventh Son", "Small World", "Just Go", "Go Away & Find Yourself", "Ribbon In The Sky", "Below Above", "Listen Little Girl", "Wave", "I'm Gonna Let Ya", "The Island", "Casablanca", "Dindi", "Godsend", "Suzanne", "I Remember", "Theme From Hotel", and "Free Again". CD